Method and means eor molding vault lids



Feb. 5, 1929.` l 1,701,014

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' f INVENTOR BY E (M ATTORNEY Feb. 5, 1929. H. S. SCHOPF uETHoD ANDMEANS FOR MOLDING vAULT LIDS Filed Fb. 15.

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lNvENKTvoR Patented Feb. 5, 1929'.

HENRY S. SCI-IOFF, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR MOLDIN G VAULT LIDS.

Application filed February 15, 1928. Serial No. 254,521.

The object of this invention isA to provide a novel method and means formolding a vault lid on a vault body.

Burial Vaults of concrete are very heavy and it is necessary that the.lid should not only be the same size, but. that it should accuratelyfit the upper edges of the walls ofthe vault body.

Now itis a special feature ofV my invention toziirst complete the vaultbody and provide the upper edgesl ofthe walls thereof with the proper ordesired contour, and then employ the completed vault body as a part ofthe means or mechanism for molding the lid therefor.v

Inv-accordance; with' my invention, form apparatus iswsupported on andattached to the completed vault onto which and. into which apparatus theconcrete or other materialof which` the; lidv is to be formed is poured,so that afterthe, lid has set, it will be accurately thesize necessaryfor the vault.

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My improvedI formy apparatus is designed and constructed to coact withthe vault. wallsand the lid being formed ther-comin a manner to providesealed spaces, which spaces are -preferablydisposed in what I. will terminwardly and outwardly arranged4 positions with 1 respect to anintermediate strip of contact between they lid and the wall edges...

lily invention has other objects and fea tures which will be more fullydescribedfin .4 connection with the accompanying drawings and whichwill` be more particularly pointed outin and `by the appended claims.

In the drawings: Fig. l, is a vertical cross sectional view showing acompleted vault body; with my improved form mechanism attached theretoand'rillustrating how the lidis formed thereon..

Fig. 2, is a similar view of the lidi shown detached from the vaultbody.

Fig. 3, is a View of the vault body with a portion of the form mechanismremoved therefrom.

Fig. 4;, is a top plan View of a supporting;

form detached from a position of use and showing` the samev onf areduced scale rfrom that-employed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5,A is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. 6, isa top plan view ofthe. vault body with theformed lid thereon and show ing the manner inwhich the outer form mechanism is applied;y

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout thediferent' iig--r ures of the drawings.

Reference will first be made to the vault body wherein it will be seenthat thevsame consists of a bottom wall l, side wallsQ and end walls 3,all of said walls being preferably alike in contour and cross section.This vault body is made of concrete orlike plastic material capable ofbeing molded and any desired form mechanism may be used, as far as mypresent invention is concerned. It may be pointed out that theupperportions of walls2 are formed ofa greater thickness thanthelowerportions to afford the necessary 4width of contact with the lid andprovide for rsealing areas, hence, all the walls are made thicker at 4,and on the outside of the walls, I provide the same with a flatvertically disposed abutment portion 5, the purpose of which will laterappear.y

The upper edges of the walls are also` formed in a novel manner and fora: purpose of not only providing novel innerand outer sealing spaces butalso disposing said spaces so that they will shed water outwardly anddownwardly. Y

Thus, as clearly shownat the left of Fig.` 3, the upper edge is providedwith a prefy erbaly horizontal inner surface 6, which is also a formsupporting surface, as` will later appear. An intermediate surface 7,which isa lid contact surface, slopes downwardly and outwardly fromsurface 6. A` short outer. surface 8, slopes downwardly and outwardlyfrom the intermediate surface 7. I have thus .set forth the essentialnovel features. of the4 upper edge portions of the vault walls and Iwill next describe the manner and means whereby this configuration istransferred to complemental portions of the lid, in accurate registrytherewith, so that they lid is bound to lit the vault. f

Oneyof the features of my mold mechanism is in the form of a supportingmold structure which consists in part, of va thin and preferably metalshell 9 which may be flat, as shown, at its central portions but whichslopes toward its edges, as indicated at l0, thus providing anarchedformation transversely and longitudinally of the form.k As a means ofstiiiening the sheet form, I secure thereto a plurality of form beams11, as by means of nails or screws 12, to hold the shell 9 to form. Itwill be seen from Figs. 4 and 5, that these beams extend transversely ofthe length of said form and it will be clear that they terminate at orjust inside the inner faces of the walls 2. rIhis arched form imparts tothe lid, a similar form, which strengthens the same irrespective of anyreinforcements that may be employed. I provide the lid supporting form,which as will now be seen, spans the inner walls 2 and 3, with anoutwardly exn tending supporting flange 13. This flange 13, is of awidth to seat on the inner section 6, and support the form on walls 2and 3. Further, this flange 13, is of a thickness sutlicient, andpreferably only sulicient to form an inner sealing space between the lidand the upper edges, which sealing .space extends completely around saidupper edges. As a means of stilfening the beams 11, and also as analining means, I nail ory otherwise suitably secure strips 1l and 15 asshown, which strips form abutments that engage the inner faces of walls2 and 3, to center the supporting form on said walls.

I will next describe the outer or surrounding mold means in which theouter edge portions of the lid are formed.

Said outer form includes mold timbers 1G and 17 which are abuttedagainst the faces 5, and secured by suitable clips 18, at the corners. Iprefer to employ a sheet iron or like form 19 and 20, which fits overthe timbers 16 and 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and which is providedwith a depending portion 21 extending inside the timbers and againstwhich the concrete of the lid extends while being` formed. Each form 19and 20, is in all respects alike in this particular, therefore, and onlyone need be described in detail. Said form 19 has a space or sealingform extension 22, which extends inwardly slightly above the outersealing face 8, with which each upper edge is equipped.

Now it will be assumed that the mold mechanism just described is all inplace clearly shown in Fig. 1, with the parts already to pour the lid,which I will designate at 23. As a usual expedient, the supporting formwill be covered with paper or something of like character to prevent theconcrete from adhering thereto, and likewise, the same will be done asregards portions 21 and 22. In the intermediate space 7, between thesealing spaces 6 and 8 a strip of paper 2K1, will be disposed. Now withthese preliminaries accomplished, the concrete will be poured on theform structure and suitably manipulated or troweled to the contourshown. Suitable handles 25 may be disposed in a manner to bury theirlower bent ends 26, in the concrete, as shown, and as will be obvious tothose skilled in this art.

After the lid 23 has set, the form timbers space forming portion 28, andan inter-` mediate litting or supporting portion 29. Now because of formportions 22 and 13, the lid 23 will only actually engage and come intocontact with the upper edges of the vault when portions 29 and 7contact, assuming that the lid is to be lowered from the Fig. 2,position. Thus, part 27 will be in spaced relation to part 6, and part28, will be in spaced relation to part 8. It will thus be seen that whenthe outwardly sloping portions 7 and 29, come into contact, the lid 23will not only be accurately centered on the vault, but the outwardlylateral sealing space will be below the sealing Space formed by 6 and27, thereby acting to prevent water from entering the vault.

If the vcasket were disposed in the vault as shown in Fig. 3, a quantityof sealing cement would first be disposed in surface 6, and when the lid23 was lowered intov place,

the inner seal would have been formed.- ,ByV

reason of the thickness of the form portion 22, and the advantageousslope of portion 8, there would be an outer sealing space which theoperator would trowel full of cement and there would thus be provided aninner and upwardly disposed sealed joint and an outwardly and lowermostdisposed sealed joint, with the intermediate portions 7 and 29, betweenthe two, and in close engagement.

It is believed that my invention will be fully understood from theforegoing de'- scription, and while I have herein-described one specificfeature thereof, I do not wish to be limited thereto except for suchlimitations as the claims may import.

I claim:

1. In a means for molding a concrete or like vault lid, the combinationwith a finished concrete vault body with upright walls having top edges,a lid supporting mold form mounted on said vault body and spanning thespace between said top edges to receive the major portion of theconcrete for forming the lid, and mold members outwardly surroundingsaid vault body for forming the outer edges of the lid.

2. In a means for molding a concrete vault lid, the combination with aset concrete vault body having upstanding walls, and said walls havingtop edges having a configuration to be complementally formed on thecoacting engaging face of the lid, a lid supporting form spanningsaidwalls and h aving a forming flange engaging inner portions of said topedges and said supporting form being adapted to receive the eonorete toform the lid, said flange being adapted to form an inner sealing spacebetween said top edge and said lid corresponding to the thickness ofsaid flange, means for forming an outer sealing space between said topedge and said lid, and a nonjuneture strip disposed between said flangeand means to pre-- vent setting of the lid to said top edg 3. In a meansfor molding a concrete vault lid, the combination with a finishedconcrete vault body for which a lid is to be molded, said body havingupstanding walls having upper edges provided with a eonligura'tion to beeomplementally formed on the coacting engaging face of the lid, a lidsupport-v ing arched form spanning said Walls and having an outwardlyextending sealing space forming and supporting flange engaging portionsof the upper edges to support said form.

4. In a means for molding a concrete vault lid, the combination with anished concrete vault body for which the lid is to be formed, said bodyhaving upper edge portions adapted vto form a mold for forming eoaetingportions of the lid7 and mold mechanism eoaeting with said body forvmolding the remaining portions of the lid.

5. The herein-described method of molding a concrete lid on a vault,which consists, in supporting and eonlining the Conerete of which thelid is to be molded on and about the vault with the latter' in partforming a mold and permitting the lid material to set thereon, and ininterposing material to prevent the lid to bond with the vault.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY S. SCHOPF.

